Unit package and blank for forming



Dec. 5, 1961 S. C. HIGH UNIT PACKAGE AND BLANK FOR FORMING Filed Dec. 11. 1959 INVEN TOR. STANLEY C HIGH BY 6 M 5% ATTORNEYS United States 3,011,632 Patented Dec. 5, 1961 3,011,632 UNIT PACKAGE AND BLANK FOR FORMING Stanley C. High, Minneapolis, Minn., assiguor to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 858,948 Claims. (Cl. 20665) This invention relates to unit packages, the sides of which form individual display cards. The invention particularly relates to a separable package for fragile objects which are afiixed to the internal sides of the package.

This invention provides a multi-segmented cardboard blank comprising a plurality of rectangular-segments, individual segments having means for mounting a fragile object on one surface thereof and, if desired, suitable descriptive printed material. The segments are defined by perforated lines, along which the blank can be folded to form a hollow multilateral unit package, i.e., a package containing a unit of fragile objects, each object being affixed to the inner surfaces of a segment. By means of this invention it is not only possible to pack fragile objects extremely rapidly, but it is also possible to pack far more of the objects in a given space than previously without danger of crushing, disfiguring, or otherwise harming them. After the unit package has arrived at its destination, it may be separated into its individual segments, thereby providing a number of individual display panels, each having appropriate descriptive material appearing in conjunction with the fragile objects mounted thereon.

Such articles as preformed star or pompon ribbon bows, which may be readily crushed or disfigured, are very difiicult to ship. If the bows are packed loose in a carton, great care must be exercised, and a substantial excess volume must be allowed to avoid crushing. Even so, the bows settle in transit and tend to deform before they arrive at their destination. To avoid this problem, it is customary to mount ribbon bows individually on display cards, inserting two cards back to back in an open-ended cell having a square cross-section, formed by intersecting fiberboard dividers, the diagonal of the square being equivalent to the width of the card. 'lhe invention herein disclosed is simpler and more convenient, reduces or eliminates the need for the cell dividers, and accommodates even more bows in the same space.

This invention will be better understood by reference to the attached drawings in which like numbers refer to like parts in the several views and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a diecut cardboard blank suitable for forming a unit package of the type disclosed herein;

FIGURE 2 is a partially broken away perspective view of a carton containing several unit packages formed from the diecut blank shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a diecut blank suitable for forming a cubical unit package; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a partially formed unit package made from the diecut blank of FIGURE 3, showing bows mounted therein.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, panel segments 16a, 10b, 10c, and 10d, and tab 11, all separated and defined by perforated lines 12, form a rectangular diecut blank. The individual segments have a hole 13 near one end, whereby the segments may be hung in display after having been separated along perforated lines 12. Each segment also contains a hole-slot combination 14 into which the ends 18 of a pompon bow 16 may be inserted, thereby detachably securing it to the card, as well as a diecut clip 15 for detachably mounting a bank of ribbon 17. Panel segments 10c and 10d are shown with bows 16 and hanks 17 already mounted, the bows being alternately acentrically offset. Tab 11, which is optional, is separably attached to segment 10d and may be adhered to segment 10:: after the blank has been folded along perforated lines 12 to form a unit package 19, thereby rigidifying the structure. In many instances, however, particularly if separate cell-forming fiberboard dividers are employed to subdivide a carton, tab 11 is unnecessary. As is shown more particularly in FIGURE 2, unit package 19 is so formed that bows 16 are disposed in the interior thereof, a plurality of such packages being packed together in a fiberboard carton 20. A particular feature of this. embodiment of my invention is the acentric mounting of the bows 16, with adjacent panels having the bows in ofiset relationship from each other, thereby permitting a large number of bows to be packed in a given space in substantially noncrushing relationship.

The fiberboard carton 20 of FIGURE 2 is only representative. If, for example, a carton twice as deep is used, it may be desirable to place a cardboard divider between two layers of shipping containers 19. Alternatively, it may be equally feasible to have a second diecut blank separably attached to the first blank, thereby forming a double package.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, individual square segments 39:14:01 inclusive are separated and defined by perforated lines 31 along adjacent edges. Segments 30a, 39a, and 30 each have locking tabs 32 separably attached to an outer edge, while segments 30a, 30b, and 39d have tab-receiving slots 33 along an outer edge. Located in the center of each segment is a diecut cross-slot 34 designed to detachably hold a bow 35 by means of a collar button mounting device 36 inserted first through the bow and then through cross-slot 34. This blank may be folded along perforated lines 31 to form a unit package which is substantially cubical, locking tabs 32 being bent and inserted into appropriate tab-receiving slots 33 to hold the unit package rigid during shipment and thereby protect the six bows mounted in the interior thereof. When the unit package arrives at its destination, the dealer or distributor separates it along perforated lines 31 into six individual display panels, each having a bow mounted thereon. Since bows are mounted on all six sides of the unit package, an extremely large number of bows can be packed in a given space without crushing or abrading; in fact over 30% more bows can be packed in a carton containing these unit packages than in the same carton when the bows are packed loose.

What I claim is:

1. A multi-segmented cardboard blank comprising a plurality of rectangular segments, individual segments having a cross-slot for detachably mounting a crushable ribbon bow and a pair of opposed centrally converging clip-forming slots for detachably mounting a hank of ribbon, said segments being defined by perforated lines along adjacent edges, thereby permitting ribbon bows and ribbon hanks to be mounted on one surface of said blank, whereafter said blank may be folded in the same direction at a substantial angle along the edges of adjacent segments to form a compact unit package having said fragile objects disposed in the interior thereof and subsequently separated into individual segments which serve as display cards for said fragile objects.

2. A multi-segmented cardboard blank comprising a plurality of rectangular segments, individual segments having a cross-slot for detachably mounting a crushable ribbon bow and a pair of opposed centrally converging clip-forming slots for detachably mounting a hank of ribbon, said segments being defined by perforated lines along adjacent edges, thereby permitting ribbon bows and ribbon hanks to be mounted on one surface of said blank, whereafter said blank may be folded in the same direction at a substantial angle along the edges of adjacent segments to form a compact unit package having said fragile objects disposed in the interior thereof and subsequently separated into individual segments which serve as display cards for said fragile objects, said blank having means for temporarily holding said segments in said unit package shape when said blank is formed into a container.

3. A multi-segmented cardboard blank comprising an even number of rectangular display panel segments each having a cross-slot for detachably mounting a crushable ribbon bow and a pair of opposed centrally, converging clip-forming slots for detachably mounting a hank of ribbon, said segments being defined by perforated lines along adjacent edges, said cross-slots on adjacent segments being acentrically disposed and offset from one another, whereby ribbon bows and ribbon hanks may be mounted on said blank, whereafter said blank may be having integral means for temporarily holding said segments in said cubicalarrangement.

6, A multilateral segmented unit package whose perimeter is defined by the exterior surfaces of a plurality of rectangular individual display panels hingedly and separably connected at a substantial angle by a perforated line defining adjoining edges, individual panels having means for detachably mounting thereon a fragile object internally of said package, and a fragile object mounted on said means.

7. A multilateral segmented unit package whose. perimeter is definedtby the exterior surfaces of an even number of rectangular individual display panels hingedly folded in the same direction along the edges of adjacent segments to form a unit package having said bows and hanks disposed internally thereofin substantially noncrushing relationship and subsequently separated into individual segments which serve as display panels for. said bows and hanks.

4. A multi-segmented cardboard blank comprising six rectangular display card segments each having means for detachably mounting a fragile object thereon, said segments being defined by perforated lines along adjacent edges, thereby permitting fragile objects to be mounted on each of said segments on the same surface of said blank, whereafter said blank may be folded at 90 angles along said lines to form a self-defined hollow parallelepipedal unit package having said fragile objects disposed in the interior thereof and subsequently separated into six individual display cards having said fragile objects mounted thereon, said blank having integral means for temporarily holding said segments in said parallelepipedal arrangement.

5. A multi-segmented cardboard blank comprising six square display card segments each having means for detachably mounting a fragile object thereon, said segments being defined by perforated lines along adjacent edges, thereby permitting fragile objects to be mounted on each of said segments on the same surface of said blank, whereafter said blank may be folded at 90 angles along said lines to form a cubical unit package having said fragile objects disposed in the interior thereof and subsequently separated into six individual display cards having said fragile objects mounted thereon, said blank and separably connected at a substantial angle by a perforated line defining adjoining edges, said panels each having means for detachably mounting thereon a crushable object in the. interior of said package, adjacent panels having said means acentrically disposed in offset relationship, and a fragile object mounted on each of said means.

8. A hollow parallelepipedal unit package formed from a single sheet of cardboard, said package comprising six rectangular display panels hingedly and separably connected at a 90 angle along adjoining edges, each of said display panels having means'for detachably mounting thereon a fragile object internally of said package, and a fragile object mounted on each of said means.

9. A hollow cubical unit package formed from a single sheet of cardboard, said package comprising six square display panels hingedly and separably connected at a 90 angle along adjoining edges, each of said display panels having means for detachably mounting thereon a fragile object internally of said package, and a fragile object mounted on each of said means.

10. A multilateral segmented unit package comprising a plurality of rectangular individual display panels hingedly and separably connected at a substantial angle by a perforated line defining adjoining edges, individual panels having a means for detachably mounting a ribbon how and a ribbon bow detachably mounted thereon internally of said package.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,955,252 Palla Apr. 17, 1934 2,198,138 Sutton Apr. 23, 1940 2,560,520 Berkson July 10, 1951 2,845,212 Gerowin July 29, 1958 

